One Last Goodbye
by Ainaethirwen
Summary: Harry celebrates with the Weasleys at the wedding of Bill and Fleur. This is his last moment of happiness with Ginny and the people he loves the most, before his task to destroy Voldemort. GH and HR
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own the rights to Harry Potter or the characters and names. _

**Chapter 1: **

The night was still and silent. There was a sort of mist and coolness in the air that had began over a year ago. This was odd weather for the end of July. No one of the muggle world new what was causing this weather. Some meteorologists suspected it to be caused by global warming. The wizarding world however knew exactly what the cause was.

Dementors.

There seemed to be more and more sightings of Dementors around. Muggles of course could not see these deathly creatures, but they could feel them. All happiness would drain from their bodies and no one could explain what it was. But worst then the Dementors were the sudden 'disappearances' of people. The muggles believed this to be kidnappings, or runaways and in the times were a body was found, a unique case of murder that could not be explained.

Newspapers were cluttered with news of strange occurrences. Some people who were following these events almost religiously would cut out clippings and try to make sense of it all. One such person cut out bits from any source possible.

In a small bedroom, there was barely a space that was not covered with some sort of scrape of information. Notes and pictures were cluttering the floor and desks. The walls were also covered head to foot in anything about disappearances and deaths and anything that might be of some use.

In the middle of all this cluttered chaos sat a young man of about seventeen. He was making notes in a little black notebook. He took a look at some of the clippings by his side, reread them and jotted down what seemed to be important.

Who knows how long he was there for, he probably lost track of the time also, because when he finally looked up to his window he was a little shocked to see that it was night out. The clock by his bed read 2:23 am. The young man stood up and stretched his arms to get the kinks out. As he brought his hand to his head to sweep the hair from his eyes, he brushed ever so lightly against a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

Harry Potter, the boy who lived, the chosen one, stood leaning against his bedroom window, lost in thought. He did this a lot. Since his return back from his sixth year at Hogwarts, he returned to the Dursleys, his only living relatives. The welcome was pretty much what he expected.

Harry had a very cold welcome reception once he stepped off the Hogwarts Express. He said his good byes to Hermione and the Weasleys, promising them that he will be there for Bill and Fleur's wedding. This goodbye was especially difficult when it came to Ginny. Although they both knew what had to be done, and that they would see each other in a few weeks, it was the most difficult thing to do to let each other go from that embrace. Harry was the first to let go, said a quick goodbye and turned his back on Ginny and the group gathered there and walked towards the Dursleys.

Since being home, Harry had locked himself up in his room to begin his research. Which fitted the Dursleys just fine. The less they saw of him the happier they were. This feeling heightened a little more by the new knowledge that Harry had bestowed upon them his first night back.

The Dursleys and Harry were all sitting around the table eating silently. Mr. Dursley eyeing Harry in that way he reserved only for his nephew. Harry was ignoring him as usual deciding on picking at his chicken rather than actually eat it. Finally, he decided to break the silence.

"Just so you know, after my seventeenth birthday I will be coming of age." He looked straight at his uncle for his reaction. And sure enough, Vernon's face turned a little purple. Aunt Petunia let out a little gasp and Dudley dropped his fork, which was halfway to his mouth.

"As you know, I will legally be able to do magic." Once again a gasp from his aunt. "What you don't know is that once I leave here, I will not be coming back. Ever."

After that declaration, the atmosphere wasn't so bad in the house. Harry, who was intent on his research, rarely came down to eat. When he did, it was usually after everyone else had gone to bed. Uncle Vernon let this go do to the fact that it made him almost forget that Harry existed. Almost, but the continual rush of owls bringing mail was enough to make him remember.

Even so, things seemed almost normal at number 4 Privet Drive and Vernon was gleefully counting down the days until his unwelcome guest would leave and never come back.

Harry was still staring out the window when what he was waiting for finally came into sight. Hedwig, Harry's owl was flying toward the open window and seemed to be carrying a letter. She flew to him, dropped the letter and went to her cage to drink from her dish.

Harry recognized the messy writing of his best friend, Ron. He had been waiting for this letter for a while now. He tore it open and read it through twice. A small smile came to Harry.

_Harry,_

_Everything's set. You will be sharing a room with me, as the house will be full of people for the wedding. Mum and Dad said you can store all your stuff here for as long as you need to. Though she asked me to plea with you again to rethink your plan. Everyone is excited to see you, especially a certain fiery redhead. Hermione will be arriving in a few days. Have a safe trip Harry._

_Ron._

Harry folded up the letter and placed it with the rest of the letters he had received that summer and got into bed. Tomorrow he would pack up all his belongings and leave for the Burrow never to return to this place ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

It didn't take him long to pack up, being legally able to do magic made it easier. Harry had actually finished the task over an hour ago. He was just sitting on his bed staring off into space. _'It's weird,'_ he thought, _'Now that I can leave, knowing I don't have to come back, I'm finding it hard to set my foot outside the room.'_

It was one of those rare moments, which happen to everyone at least once in his or her life. The moment when you were waiting a long time for a specific thing to happen and when the time finally comes you wish you had more time. For Harry it was leaving this house and these people. It was one of the things he had wished for and now found that it came a little too soon.

Harry rose from the bed and made his way to the bedroom door. With one final look around the room, he closed the door behind him and made his way down the flight of stairs to the front door where his belongings lay waiting. After finally making up his mind whether or not he would say anything to his only living relatives, he had at last concluded that he had to say something to the people that, grudgingly, took care of him.

As he expected, they were in the kitchen having just finished eating breakfast. Uncle Vernon looked up from his paper, trying very hard to hide his smile. The day he had been waiting for, for sixteen years, had finally come.

"So," he said, putting down his paper and calling to attention that Harry had entered the room. "All ready to leave are you? Got everything? You want to make sure so you don't have to come back." Mr. Dursley said now with a grin not unlike Umbridge.

"Yes, I've just come to say goodbye and …" Harry hesitated_. 'And what? Thanks for all you've done for me? Thanks for treating me like something you find on the bottom of your shoe? What am I supposed to say to these people who did nothing more than hate me?'_

"Be careful." And with that, Harry turned his back on the only family he had ever known. He flicked his wand and all his belongings shrunk down in size so that Harry could pick them up and put them safely in his pocket along with his wand.

Harry stepped out the door and walked down the perfectly manicured walkway to the deserted street. He looked down the street and saw a little lady standing on her porch. She was waving to him. Harry waved back to Mrs. Figg and turned in the opposite direction. He passed the place where he first saw Sirius as the black dog. He picked up his pace, making his way to the park. Harry found an area of the park where he new he would not be seen. Without another glance or thought to his childhood home, he closed his eyes and concentrated hard on his destination, and then he was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

No matter how many times he did it, Harry still hated Apparating. It was however conveniently fast. Within seconds of leaving the old park by Privet Drive, he was now facing his second favorite place in the world. The Burrow. Harry wasted no time in making his way to the front door. All of his favorite people were inside there somewhere.

Before Harry could bring his hand up to knock, the door burst open and a cheerful Mrs. Weasley pulled him into a great bear hug.

"Oh Harry, I'm so happy to see you." Mrs. Weasley pulled away from him and looked him up and down. "You look thin. Have you been eating enough?" She sat Harry down at the kitchen table and gave him a look that showed she did not think too kindly of the Dursleys' idea of dieting.

Mrs. Weasley began cooking up a breakfast for Harry without even asking if he had eaten.

Harry looked around his surroundings and felt at ease. The house however was uncharacteristically quiet. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh Ron's still in bed. Mr. Weasley and Bill are at work. Fred and George took Charlie to see their shop and Fleur, Ginny and Hermione are out for a dress fitting."

Harry couldn't help the little jump in his stomach at the sound of Ginny's name. He also decided against asking about Percy. He knew it was a touchy subject and he wasn't even sure if he was invited. Instead, he began to eat the great feast laid out in front of him.

No sooner had he began eating he heard what seamed to be a herd of animals running down the stairs. A messy haired Ron came into the kitchen.

"Mum! You were supposed to wake me up when Harry got here." Ron grabbed a plate and sat down across from Harry. "Alright Harry?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Not too bad." Ron said as he shoved a forkful of egg into his mouth. "You happy to have left those muggles for good?"

Harry smiled at Ron and taking a quick look at Mrs. Weasley, making sure she wasn't looking his way, he nodded his head at Ron.

After breakfast was done, Ron and Harry went up to Ron's room. A spare bed was ready for him along with space in the closet for his belongings. Harry took his things from his pocket and waved his wand to bring them back to their regular size. He and Ron began the task of putting these away, both chatting away about Quidditch and their experience with the apparition test.

"At least you were able to do it the first time around. Remember my eyebrow incident? Fred and George are still teasing me about it." Ron said as he opened the window to let Hedwig go in and out, as she pleased. "So have you decided where we're going to go first?"

Harry, who knew Ron was talking about the research for the missing horcruxs, plopped himself on his bed and looked Ron squarely in the eyes. "Still set on coming along are you?"

Ron smiled back "Me and Hermione were talking about it last night. Yeah, we're still going with you." His face was that of a determined man, so Harry chose to just answer the previous question.

"The more I think about it, the more I feel it necessary to go to Godricks Hollow." Harry lowered his head a little, as he said this. "I want to see where it all started, maybe I'll find some sort of clue that others have missed." He didn't want to say what he was thinking. That Dumbledore might have missed a small piece of information. To him, this felt almost like a betrayal in the trust he had for the older man.

"From there I thought maybe going to the orphanage Voldermort grew up in or to his fathers home town. I haven't decided which on yet."

"Sounds like you thought a lot about this." Ron said pulling out a two chocolate frogs and offering one to Harry.

"It's all I've thought about." Harry said unwrapping his frog. "Well almost all." Harry didn't want Ron to see the small smile come onto his face.

Ron however, whether he noticed or not, didn't miss a beat. "You mean Ginny, don't you?"

Harry said nothing.

"Look Harry, I still think you're doing the right thing. And so does Ginny."

Harry was about to say something but Ron cut him off. "She never said anything to me. Why would she? I'm her brother. But she and Hermione talk a lot. I only pick up things here and there." He said at the look on Harry's face. "The point is, Ginny cares for you, but she also knows the reasons why you can't be together. She understands."

Ron crumpled up the wrapper and made it disappear with a flick of his wand. He turned his full attention on Harry again. "I only ask one favor of you before we leave for our little trip."

"What?" Harry asked, not liking Ron's quiet tone.

"I ask that you show Ginny a wonderful time at the wedding. This may be the last time any of us have a moment of peace and happiness for a long time. And I think that both you and Ginny need that time together. Can you promise me that?"

Ron looked so serious and sad that Harry had to say yes. This however was already a thought he had before he arrived at the Burrow.

"Of course I promise."

Ron broke into a huge smile and his shoulders seemed to relax. "Oh good. Sorry about that. You know. If I was a little weird about it. I've just been thinking about it a lot and, you know..." Ron trailed off.

"Ron, I know." A little pause followed this. Then Harry looked outside at the clear blue sky. "Hey Ron, how about a little game of Quidditch, seeing as how we won't be on the Gryfindore team this year?"

Ron's smile grew larger and they both grabbed their brooms and left for the garden outside.


End file.
